Interview with a Non-Traditional Med Applicant with Multiple Acceptances

We’d like to introduce you to â€Å"D,† a future doctor who has just been accepted into a number of med schools and has a big decision ahead of him: where to attend!   Read our interview below to hear all about the challenges and triumphs of a non-traditional med school applicant, and don’t forget to check out D’s blog for more stories and tips – Doctor Or Bust. Thanks D, and best of luck to you! Accepted: First, can you tell us a little about yourself? Where are you from? Where and what did you study as an undergrad? What is your favorite non-school book? D: I grew up in Southern California, and like a typical Californian Ive moved around a lot, but Ive mostly stayed in Los Angeles County. Im one of fourteen, second to youngest, I come from a large family of mixed lineage. Also, I didnt grow up with most of my brothers and sisters as I was born out of wedlock. I attended California Polytechnic University of Pomona where I obtained my bachelors of science in Exercise Physiology and a minor in Human Physiology. My favorite non school related reads are just about anything from Bertrand Russell; my favorite book by him at the moment is The Problems of Philosophy. Overall, I prefer reading famous essays or opinions as I find them to be more entertaining Im not really into fictional reading. Accepted: Congrats on your med school admit! Where did you get accepted and when do you start? D: Thank you! I was accepted into four programs: Cooper Rowan, East Virginia Medical School, Oakland Beaumont, and Loyola Stritch. I am awaiting a response from Boston University early next month. While Im overjoyed to gain acceptances, no one really prepares you for one of the hardest parts: selecting where you will develop into a physician and live for the next probable decade. When I was compiling my school list I only applied to programs I could envision myself fitting in, while this was great when I got accepted, it was terrible when it came time to choose. At the time I was choosing programs it was important to me that the program I felt focused on service and collegiality. Im still awaiting to hear back from my top pick; Id probably go there if accepted. I wanted to select a program that could make me the best patient advocate and supply me with the most worldly experience. I have previous research experience, so I also wanted to go to an institution where clinical research was strongly encouraged. Finally, I wanted to relocate and try something new, so Im pretty certain that I will find myself living near the eastern seaboard around this time next year. Accepted: In your blog, you describe yourself as a nontraditional premed applicant. Can you elaborate on that please? D: When I finished high school I was accepted into a university, but I was discouraged from attending by my parents who wanted me to attend a community college as I didnt qualify for financial aid. So my tuition came out of my pocket I got a job and hit the labor force for several years while sampling courses. Eventually, I decided to focus on school again and transferred to the university I was originally accepted into out of high school ironically. I had an exciting opportunity to do electrophysiology research, where I studied ion channels. The research and the scholarships I received had me focused on PhD programs. I didnt want to limit my options, so I also took the premed requirements concurrently. But, I never thought Id apply for MD programs, until one day I just felt pretty useless when a family member and friend passed away a month apart. After that I withdrew my applications for graduate school and took the MCAT squeezed in some volunteering and hit the AMCAS applications hard. It all worked out in the end with the acceptances, but it really felt like a huge gamble at the time. Accepted: Looking back at the med school application process, what would you say were your three greatest challenges and how would you advise current applicants who are faced with those same (or similar) challenges? D: Id say the top three challenges for me were: the MCAT (self studied), secondary essays, and lack of support from some people in my personal network. My advice for premeds who have to self study is they find a study package that works for them; once I found my study package and stayed with it my practice scores steadily increased. However, self studying isnt for everyone, theres no shame in taking a prep course if you can afford it. For secondaries my only advice is to have research about each school already completed before you receive secondaries. At first there is a drought where you receive no secondaries, then theres a deluge, so its hard to find time to finish everything if you didnt prepare beforehand. Personally, I paid for the MSAR (you must get the MSAR full edition) and made a spreadsheet about the pros and cons and random details several months before secondaries, so I just referred to my sheets to save me time while writing essays. If you dont buy the MSAR youre doing yourself a big disservice. And about the last point, youre bound to have some friends and family who cant understand your sacrifices and may even doubt you while being a premed. Ive had some flat out tell me I should give up. Always be true to yourself, and make sure to build a good support network of like-minded friends and mentors who understand your lifestyle and the hurdles youll certainly face as you chase the medical degree. Accepted: Can you tell us more about your blog? When did you start blogging? What do you hope to gain from the experience? D: I just started my blog sometime in October or so this year (2013). Its a blog that is intended to share my experience as a nontraditional premed, now MD candidate, and into the future as a resident. But when I started the blog the goals werent so lofty, initially I was just using it to write some tutorials for a few premeds who asked for advice on Twitter. To my surprise one day my page counter told me other people actually read my blog too, so I decided to try to make it as a resource. When I was trying to figure out how to apply to medical school I felt pretty lost, so I hoped this site would serve as a foundation for others like me who drift into medicine. My only hope was that someone would feel my blog was useful and inspire at least one person, fortunately I have received a few messages here and there from premeds whove reached out to share their personal experiences with me it really brightens my day. D kindly informed us that he’ll be attending Boston University Medical School. Here was our follow up question: Accepted: Why did you choose BU Medical School? What are you most looking forward to? D: When you apply to medical school you never really imagine that one of the hardest parts will be selecting from a program if you have more than one medical school acceptance. This is obviously a better problem to have compared to the alternative. However, as premeds I think I was used to being told what to do for so long it was a curious feeling to finally get to decide what I want to do. At the end of the day, its all about finding which school will be your home for at least the next four years, or as some schools call it finding your fit. The funny thing is when I applied to Boston University (BU) it felt like a long-shot, so when I received an interview I was sure theyd made a mistake and would withdraw my invitation sooner or later – I preemptively snatched up the first interview I could afford. My first time ever being in Boston was for my interview, I found the campus and the city breathtaking. I was lucky to find a great host, an incredibly busy and knowledgeable M3 currently enrolled at BU. He gave me a treasure trove of information that was useful for my interview, this was my first active demonstration of the collegiality I yearned for in a medical school. My interviewer and I connected during our session, we actually just about ran out of time during my interview, I even saw myself contacting her later as a possible research mentor after my interview was done. The dean of admissions was also very charismatic and down to earth, and I felt like we werent being pressured or rushed into the most important decision of our lives. I still remember the feeling I got when the dean was giving us our farewell speech, it felt as if he were speaking directly to me. I felt this medical program would help me fulfill my primary concerns as a MD candidate: gaining the tools so I can become excellent physician and patient advocate while staying grounded. I suppose, through the course of my interview day I slowly started to imagine myself walking the halls and growing as an individual there. After returning from my interview I had to wait several months to hear back from Boston, in the meantime I received my share of acceptances and rejections from other programs. By the time the BU decision date was looming I had already been accepted into four schools, however knowing this didnt assuage my fears of rejection from BU. I soon realized how emotionally invested I was, and how much it meant to me to be accepted because I had found my fit. So, when I received a phone call regarding my acceptance I was ecstatic to hear the feeling was mutual. Do you want to be featured in Accepted.coms blog, Accepted Admissions Blog? If you want to share your med school journey with the world (or at least with our readers), email us at mbabloggers@accepted.com. Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

The Most Significant Achievement of the European Union - 550 Words

The Most Significant Achievement of the European Union (Essay Sample) Content: MOST SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENT OF THE EUROPEAN UNIONName:Institutional Affiliation:Date:It is important to have close ties with one's neighbors since everyone is bound to benefit. This is the main idea behind regional integration whereby sovereign countries come together to form unions. Regional integration is essential in ensuring the overall and sustainable growth of any region (Cameron, 2010). The most notable example is the European Union, which is primarily a political and economic union that integrates 28 countries in Europe. Established in 1993, the EU has made significant gains this far (Staab, 2011). The introduction of the Euro is the most noticeable expression of the unison embraced by EU member states. Peace, as well as stability, is also another milestone realized by the EU whereby democracy and human rights are firmly promoted by the Union and member states (Cameron, 2010). However, the most remarkable achievement accomplished by the EU to date is the deve lopment of a single market. Today movement of people, as well as products around Europe, is essentially easy and it seems as if one is moving around a single country. This essay discusses the single market creation as the most significant achievement the EU has realized.When a single market is functioning accordingly, product quality is enhanced, trade and competition are stimulated, efficiency is improved, and prices drop (Damro, 2012). The single market setting makes the EU a single territory. Trade barriers have been waived and replaced with various common policies meant to enhance free movement of goods as well as factors of production such as labor and capital. The EU common market has evidently increased economic growth while the life of people living in Europe has been made easier (Staab, 2011). The single market has stimulated numerous benefits to the European populace as well as the business community. For instance, the introduction of the Euro is the most visible achieveme nt realized by the EU, and it is directly associated with the single market policy (Staab, 2011). The single currency has brought about a stable economic atmosphere whereby development and trade have been encouraged.Owing to the single market, it is far much easier to begin a business venture in other EU member states. This is a great accomplishment given that it was tough to start a business in other EU countries before the adoption of the single market. The EU region is more competitive than ever. Obtaining relevant permits to run a business takes less time, and it is unproblematic (Damro, 2012). Businesses have been able to expand beyond borders and at the end everyone benefits. Consumers now have a broad range of products to choose from, and this has in turn compelled companies to ensure quality. Job creation has also been enhanced.Conclusively, the positive impacts of the singl... The Most Significant Achievement of the European Union - 550 Words The Most Significant Achievement of the European Union (Essay Sample) Content: MOST SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENT OF THE EUROPEAN UNIONName:Institutional Affiliation:Date:It is important to have close ties with one's neighbors since everyone is bound to benefit. This is the main idea behind regional integration whereby sovereign countries come together to form unions. Regional integration is essential in ensuring the overall and sustainable growth of any region (Cameron, 2010). The most notable example is the European Union, which is primarily a political and economic union that integrates 28 countries in Europe. Established in 1993, the EU has made significant gains this far (Staab, 2011). The introduction of the Euro is the most noticeable expression of the unison embraced by EU member states. Peace, as well as stability, is also another milestone realized by the EU whereby democracy and human rights are firmly promoted by the Union and member states (Cameron, 2010). However, the most remarkable achievement accomplished by the EU to date is the deve lopment of a single market. Today movement of people, as well as products around Europe, is essentially easy and it seems as if one is moving around a single country. This essay discusses the single market creation as the most significant achievement the EU has realized.When a single market is functioning accordingly, product quality is enhanced, trade and competition are stimulated, efficiency is improved, and prices drop (Damro, 2012). The single market setting makes the EU a single territory. Trade barriers have been waived and replaced with various common policies meant to enhance free movement of goods as well as factors of production such as labor and capital. The EU common market has evidently increased economic growth while the life of people living in Europe has been made easier (Staab, 2011). The single market has stimulated numerous benefits to the European populace as well as the business community. For instance, the introduction of the Euro is the most visible achieveme nt realized by the EU, and it is directly associated with the single market policy (Staab, 2011). The single currency has brought about a stable economic atmosphere whereby development and trade have been encouraged.Owing to the single market, it is far much easier to begin a business venture in other EU member states. This is a great accomplishment given that it was tough to start a business in other EU countries before the adoption of the single market. The EU region is more competitive than ever. Obtaining relevant permits to run a business takes less time, and it is unproblematic (Damro, 2012). Businesses have been able to expand beyond borders and at the end everyone benefits. Consumers now have a broad range of products to choose from, and this has in turn compelled companies to ensure quality. Job creation has also been enhanced.Conclusively, the positive impacts of the singl...